LIXIL to Expand SaTo ("Safe Toilet") Market Globally with New Grant

Tokyo, Japan – LIXIL Corporation (“LIXIL”), a global leader in housing and building materials, products and services, today announced that it has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the expansion of its SaTo (“Safe Toilet”) business activities, providing affordable, aspirational solutions to people that lack access to proper sanitation.

SaTo products are designed to improve the user experience and safety of open-pit latrines. They are refined yet affordably priced and simple to install. They utilize an airtight counterweighted trap-door to prevent odors and the transmission of disease. First developed by LIXIL’s American Standard Brands with previous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, over one million units are currently in use in over 14 countries, starting with Bangladesh and now including the Philippines, India, Uganda, Kenya and Haiti.

Kinya Seto, LIXIL President and CEO, said, “As the global leader in sanitary ware, LIXIL is uniquely positioned to contribute to tackling global sanitation issues through innovative products and a sustainable business focused-approach. LIXIL has set a goal to improve sanitation for 100 million people by 2020, and SaTo products will play a leading role in reaching this target. We look forward to now increasing SaTo’s presence in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where these products can make a meaningful difference.”

Jim McHale, Ph.D., Vice President, LIXIL, and General Manager of the SaTo business unit, commented, “SaTo products offer a simple and affordable solution that can help improve the lives of people in low-income and off-grid areas suffering from poor sanitary conditions. We are now accelerating the scaling-up of the SaTo business, using the expertise we have developed in Japan, the U.S. and globally, to tackle poor sanitation. I would like to thank the Gates Foundation for its support, which will help us improve access to SaTo products in developing countries worldwide.”

Brian Arbogast, Director of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said, “Inadequate sanitation is a pressing global problem, adversely affecting the health and prosperity of billions of people in low-resource setting. We are honored to partner with Lixil to explore and scale innovative product solutions that will expand sanitation access and improve outcomes for the poorest and most vulnerable around the world.”

During the SaTo development phase, engineers underwent a number of technological design iterations and field tests similar to designing high-end toilets, including computational analyses of flushing and fluid mechanisms. The Sato series today consists of several variations, adapted to suit local practices, cultures and regulations. This is the third grant provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the development of SaTo products.

About LIXILLIXIL Corporation is a global leader in housing and building materials products and services. The foundation of LIXIL’s success is our constant investment in technological innovation to improve the way we live. Delivering core strengths in water, housing, building and kitchen technologies, our brand portfolio businesses LIXIL, GROHE, American Standard Brands and Permasteelisa are leaders in the industries and regions in which they operate. LIXIL produces some of the world’s most fundamental and innovative products and services, and our solutions are an integral part of some of the world’s most iconic and cutting-edge living and working spaces. Operating in more than 150 countries, and employing more than 80,000 people, we bring together function, quality and design to make people’s lives better, and more delightful – wherever they are.

About LIXIL GroupLIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company containing LIXIL Corporation, LIXIL VIVA CORPORATION and LIXIL Housing Research Institute, Ltd.. The Group, which is led by President and CEO Kinya Seto, is involved in a broad spectrum of housing-related businesses, ranging from the manufacture and sales of building materials and housing equipment to the operation of home centers and a network of homebuilding franchises, and comprehensive real estate service. LIXIL Group Corporation posted ¥1.85 trillion in consolidated sales in FYE March 2016.

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JPG Download High Res VersionAfter relieving themselves, users pour water into the toilet. The water opens the trap door and the waste falls through. The trap then closes back up, blocking insects and unpleasant odors.